The elusive Wilson’s Snipe. Three of them.
This species is one of the most abundant and widespread shorebirds in North America but they’re very difficult to spot in their habitat. Here’s how Cornell’s Birds of North America Online puts it: “This is an elusive species; the usual view of a Wilson’s Snipe is as it flushes from grass or sedges.”
1/1600, f/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
But yesterday morning at Farmington I was lucky enough to get close to several of them as they were feeding in the shallow water. I’m not even going to bellyache about the messy setting.
This species always looks odd to me. I think it’s because their eyes are set so very far back on their heads. This unusual eye position provides “full vision to both sides and a binocular overlap to the rear” so they can detect approaching predators (or photographers) while their bill is fully buried in the water or mud.
1/2000, f/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
This bird watched me carefully for a few moments and after determining I was no threat it went back to feeding.
You may have noticed that I cropped this image more tightly than usual and I’m curious if my readers can figure out why I did so before scrolling to the next photo. There’s a pretty strong hint in the image of my motivation for cropping so tightly on the bird.
A looser crop of the same photo reveals why. There’s part of another snipe in the frame to the right that I didn’t want to distract from the other bird. Part of the “intruder’s” bill can be seen in the previous version of the image but with that tight crop I figured most viewers wouldn’t spot it or be distracted by it because the part of the bill we can see looks like just another stem poking out of the water.
1/1600, f/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM @ 400mm, not baited, set up or called in
I grabbed my smaller zoom lens for a few shots so I could get more of the birds comfortably in the frame. There were actually four of them in this area but when a 5th snipe flew by close overhead the other birds took off and joined it so my session with them was abruptly over.
Other than these snipes and a few Snowy Egrets it was a slow morning for bird photography at Farmington. I’m hoping that approaching colder weather brings some more birds in. They’re forecasting snow for the northern Utah valleys by Sunday and that could be a good thing for bird photographers.
Ron
PS – Regarding the winter storm moving in. We’ll only get the tail end of it here in northern Utah but the area near our Montana family farm is probably going to be hammered. They’re predicting 15-36″ of snow in the valleys of northwest Montana and tallies will be much higher in the mountains. Blizzard conditions are predicted since winds will be as strong as tropical-storm-force, with gusts at hurricane-force.
Good luck Judy Gusick and all my Montana family and friends.
How beautiful! And how wonderful their adaptation to watch for predators! Nature is just wonderful in it diversity. We need to fight to keep that!
good luck to all those in the way of the weather.
Of course snipe are elusive – after all, I believe that is where the term ‘sniper’ comes from.
And I loved seeing both this one and its photobombing friend.
Thank you, EC.
I found the other bird only because of your hint about the tight crop. They are odd-looking birds, midnight pranks notwithstanding.
Hope everyone in the path of the storm is able to hunker down. It’s been threatening to rain here, so I washed my car today — should rain tomorrow. 😉
Hint or not you still saw it, Marty.
Wonderful series of the Snipe, Ron! They are so confident of their camouflage it’s common to almost step on one before they flush. Heart attack-inducing! (For me, not the bird.)
We’re still waiting for our first sighting of one this year as the fall migration gets into full swing. That winter storm you described may get a lot of birds heading our way!
“They are so confident of their camouflage”
Good observation, Wally. They’re more confident of it than any species I can think of.
This is the time of the year to see the snipes at Farmington Bay, just before Duck Hunt. They are hard to find. Five together is an amazing find! Rain or shine, I was thinking of going out there this morning since I have the day off from school. But when the alarm went off I turned it off and rolled over for another hour or two of sleep.
April, it’s been pretty slow out there since they opened the gate but I’m hoping this cold front will bring some birds in. Enjoy your day off!
Ron, I am afraid with all the development out that way, the habitat has changed enough that it will be slow from now on. There will be water birds but the shore, marshland, game birds along with many of the raptors will be gone with the lack of fields they fed in. The small area can not support large numbers of birds anymore.
I entirely agree. But it still could/should get better than it has been recently.
Elusive is right. Excellent photos Ron. The first time I saw them they were in a very messy setting and I was surprised that I saw them. I did not know what they were and had to ask. Laughing at Judy’s “Snipe Hunt” comment. We even had those 70 years ago when I was a young Boy Scout. Brings back a memory of my early Navy days on a minesweeper. I heard another young sailor ask one of the Chief Petty Officers how we would get mail when we were heading far out into the Pacific on an exercise. The Chief told the young sailor to not worry because the Navy would be leaving our mail on “Mail Buoys” and that we would pass the first about about 3 am the following morning. Sure enough that gullible young man got up a 3 am to see us meet up with the elusive buoy. Hoping the colder weather brings you more and more bird opportunities.
Thanks, Everett. That’s a funny Navy story. Yes, I have “snipe hunt” memories from when I was a kid too.
WOW!! FANTASTIC!!
Charlotte
Thanks, Charlotte.
Cool shots, Ron…….:) I immediately was “suspicious” since my experience with “snipe hunts” was when they’d send college freshman on them! 😉 It is an interesting bird with the eyes set back further and they certainly blend in. The crop worked VERY well.. 🙂 “In theory”, we won’t get the brunt of the storm tho may get 8 – 10″ of wet snow. Need the moisture BUT leaves are still on the trees and temps into to teens and low 20’s for a couple of nights is NOT amusing this early. 🙁 Don’t envy those living on the Front or further north! 🙁 “Think” we’re prepared but have definitely been scampering as have been others gathering cows from the mountains and hauling wheat…….
Thanks, Judy.
As you know Cut Bank is only about 100 miles north of you but apparently that distance will make quite a difference. Last I heard they’re supposed to get hammered.
Yep – a LOT of difference at times…….. 🙂 They are in the line of fire for lots of rain/snow/wind….. 🙂
Flight speeds of up to 60mph, when they took off they really took off.
Loved the snipe hunt you sent us on, I was lost for sure.
Hope all in the storm’s path can bunker down early.
Ha, I never thought of it as a “snipe hunt”. Wish I had!
I know of no other bird its size that can take off as quickly as snipes. It’s truly amazing how fast it happens.
Beautiful! These are great photos! I so agree…they are elusive. I love the way they will remain so still and only if you are observant that eye will be the only thing that catches you. Many times I have confused them with our American Woodcock until I get a look are the breast color. This was a good year for me with both. Glad it’s not that snow for us. My satellite was down earlier again because the rain was so heavy. This is getting ridiculous…
Kathy, I see what you mean by their similarity to woodcocks. I’ve never seen a woodcock but one day I’d love to get some photos of them.
If you ever get a chance ever to see them, watching their walk is hilarious. That ‘pumping’ action, ( for lack of a better description) is really something to watch. I usually see the snipes in areas as you posted or catch them flushing so I don’t know if their walk is similar on shore.
I know storms can be tough, but doesn’t Montana need the percip?
If I remember correctly they had a very wet spring but it’s been too dry since then.
OK had me fooled, thought the close-up was great and the bill of the other snipe was dead vegetation. If I had spent the time to analyze the shot water movement around that “vegetation” would have clued me in. There’s a lot of truth to diminished acuity as one gets older. That is why I try desperately not to drive at night.
Fantastic shots Ron, love the three, it seems that these guys were hungry!
Dick, I think it would have fooled me too if I hadn’t already known.
I’m with you about night driving. I’ve tried to avoid it for many years now.